One Last Look

Edited to add the following: My editor has just informed me that we're done! ARCs will print after copy edits (which I already finished last month) and type set etc are finished. So ... the real title of this post is now "It's DONE." :)

DEFIANCE is just about ready be printed into ARCs. I get one more look when my editor sends me page proofs, and then that's it. It's out there. My baby is ready to leave the nest.

It's a surreal feeling to know that one last read-through is all that stands between me owning my story and me giving my story to you. Once you read it, once your imagination interacts with it, it becomes yours. You might love it. You might hate it. Either way it will be stick-a-fork-in-me done.

When that thought first hit me, my stomach pitched and rolled. What if I missed something? What if later I want to change that word to this word, but I can't? What if ....?

My stomach also pitched and rolled from excitement. Something along the lines of HOLYCOWEVERYONEWILLFINALLYREADTHISWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

There's no way to be completely calm about this, no matter how hard I try, but I no longer feel queasy about only seeing the manuscript one more time before it's set in stone. I'm a nit picky, thorough writer who works hard. My editor is a nit picky, thorough editor who works hard. I trust her. I trust myself. Every single word in this book has been picked up, examined, and then either kept, tossed, or re-worked into something better. I can stand behind this book and say that yes, this is my best, and I'm proud of it.

So, one more look! One more read-through! And then off to be made into ARCs so readers can finally go on a dangerous, thrilling adventure of their own with my characters. You might love it. You might hate it.

Naturally, I hope for the former. :)

Hang on to your cloaks, kids, the adventure is about to begin.